William Porterfield Interview – Warwickshire can win title in 2012

Warwickshire’s opening batsman William Porterfield is confident that his side can go one step further this season as the club aims to win its first County Championship title in eight years.

The experienced left-hander scored 583 runs in his first Championship campaign with the Birmingham club who fell agonisingly 11-points short of title-winners Lancashire in 2011.
But the Irish captain insists the side can bounce-back stronger than ever and not only do well in the four-day format, but compete well in one-day competitions.

“We finished second in the championship last season, it would be nice to go one step further this season and win it,” he said.

“It went down to the last game of season and we could have won it right up to the last session – we hope to be in a similar position this year as we want to be in the fight for the title come towards the end of the season.

“That’s where we want to be in contention for trophies as we are a big club, in one day cricket we want to improve in that, to win a trophy is our ultimate goal.”

Edgbaston are currently undergoing a new £30million redevelopment of the West and South stand, and it now boasts some of the best facilities not only in English cricket, but in the world – and Porterfield believes this will have a positive effect on the team.

“The facilities are quality,” he added. “You see the new stand here its quality, it is a world class stadium, everyone who has played here in the last year have commented have good the facilities are.

“We have got everything here to become one of the best teams in the Country and that’s where we want to be. I think we have got one of the best facilities in the world here.”

And Porterfield believes Ashley Giles, who is preparing for his fifth season as director of cricket with the Bears, is the right man to take the club forward.

“He has been in charge here for a while and he bought me to the club and I am very grateful for that. He is a good man to work under and he has done very well here and he is definitely moving us in the right direction.

“As players and coaches we are very ambitious and we want to do well in every form of the game and we hope to do that for this year and the following years after that.”